1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a multifunction switch device with a display function, which displays a function of a switch presently selected on a switch operating section and simultaneously displays a next selectable function.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electric equipment centralized at a center console of a vehicle, such as a car stereo and other audio equipment, needs an operating button for selecting an action, and so far each operating button for a respective electric equipment is separately prepared and arranged on the center console of a vehicle.
However, the function of each electric equipment has been diversified according to the technological progress, which in turn has increased the number of the buttons needed. Therefore, it has gradually become difficult to arrange all the buttons needed on a center console, which has a limited space. In addition, many operating buttons may do damage to a fine sight of the center console.
In order to solve the problems mentioned above, for example, there has been proposed an electronic equipment as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H9-198176, in which a liquid crystal display is arranged at the rear of an operating button and the display of the liquid crystal display is changed so as to change a function display of the operating button, which can be seen through a transparent part or a through hole of the operating button.
In the conventional button, the function of the operating button is displayed by a liquid crystal display and the display of the liquid crystal display is changed according to the function of a switch whenever the function of the switch changes. However, from the present display one can not find which function the function of the switch presently executing can next be changed to, until one actually takes an action for selecting the function of the operating button, therefore there has been a problem that it takes a lot of time to select a function desired.
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to solve the above problem and to provide a multifunction switch device with a display function, by which one can easily find which function the switch presently executing a certain function can select next from a switch operating section.
In order to attain the above objective, the present invention is to provide a multifunction switch device with a display function comprising: a switch part for displaying a character indicating an operating object equipment on an operating button by a display measure whenever the operating button is operated; setting means for setting up an operating object equipment; judging means for judging an operating object equipment set up on the basis of an output from the setting means; operating sequence determining means for determining an operating object equipment, which is operated next to the operating object equipment presently operated by the operating button, from the judged operating object equipment; image generating means for generating each character, which indicates the operating object equipment presently operated or that to be operated next according to the operating sequence determined by the operating sequence determining means and for transmitting each character to the display measure; and detecting means for detecting an operating of the operating button and for transmitting a detected signal to the image generating means, wherein the image generating means changes each character, which indicates the operating object equipment presently operated or that to be operated next on the basis of the detected signal by the detecting means.
According to the constitution described above, by seeing a character displayed a user can see an operating object equipment that can be selected next, thereby a very handy multifunction switch device can be provided.
The setting means sets up at least two operating object equipments and selectively sets up the operating object equipments.
According to the constitution described above, a desired operating object equipment can be selected with a small number of times for the operation of the switch.
The operating button has a switch part, which can select at least two operating object equipments out of a plurality of the operating object equipments to be operated next with relation to the operating object equipment presently operated, and the image generating means generates at least two character images indicating the operating object equipment to be operated next and transmits each character to the display measure.
According to the constitution described above, a plurality of operating object equipments can be selected with one switching operation, thereby a range for the selection becomes wide.
Upon selecting the operating object equipment to be operated next by the operating button, a character of the operating object equipment presently operated, which is displayed by the display measure, is scrolled to a display of a character of the selected operating object equipment to be operated next so that the character displayed by the display measure is changed.
According to the constitution described above, an operating object equipment to be operated next can be clearly confirmed.